• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The bill granting night shift differential to government employees whose work requires them to perform their duties beyond regular working hours, which was already approved by the bicameral committee of Congress, is now up for signing into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Cavite 2nd district Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla disclosed yesterday.
Senate Bill No. 643, sponsored by Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., the husband of the movie actress turned politician, Lani Mercado, proposes to grant night shift differential to government employees who work beyond regular hours and extend their schedules to better serve the people.
Under Senate Bill No. 643, government employees, including nurses, shall be paid 20 percent night shift differential at a rate not exceeding twenty percent of the hourly basic rate of the employee for each hour of work performed between 10 pm to 6 am.
She however said that private employees are not included in the proposed bill, which was already approved by both Houses, pending signing into law.
Mercado-Revilla represented her husband, who chairs the Senate Committee on Civil Service, at the 35th Ugyonan Festival of E.B. Magalona celebrations on May 1, which was also attended by Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano, DILG assistant secretary Ernesto “Tinto” Bascon, Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Board Member Andrew Montelibano, and Valladolid Mayor Enrique Miravalles, among others.
She was welcomed by E.B. Magalona officials, led by Mayor Marvin Malacon.
Revilla also authored RA 11982, which seeks to grant benefits to Filipino octogenarians and nonagenarians, apart from centenarians.
It was signed into law by PBBM on February 26.
Under what is now being called as “Revilla Law” in honor of Sen. Revilla, Jr. who championed the measure, all Filipinos reaching the ages of 80, 85, 90, and 95 shall receive a cash gift amounting to P10,000, while those reaching the age of 100 shall receive P100,000.
Mercado-Revilla called on senior citizens to coordinate with their respective Office of Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) offices to avail of such benefits. At the same time, the lady solon from Cavite expressed hopes that it will be funded under the proposed 2025 budget.*
